On campus: Hawk teammates square off as college opponents

By ANDREW VOGELDaily Record Sports WriterPublished: November 27, 2012 4:00AM

Seger Bonifant and Dylan Kaufman are used to playing together on the same floor. The All-Ohioans led Hiland to back-to-back Div. IV state titles the last two winters.

Earlier this month, the difference was the former Hawks were wearing different uniforms.

Bonifant, playing for Div. II West Liberty (W.Va.), and Kaufman, suiting up for Div. II Findlay, are both off to solid starts in their college basketball careers, and even went head-to-head less than a month into the season. On Nov. 14, Bonifant's Hilltoppers, ranked No. 1 in the country, got the better of Kaufman's Oilers, ranked No. 8, as they rolled to a 90-74 victory in Findlay. On the night, Bonifant scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in 12 minutes, while Kaufman chipped in eight points, four boards and a block in 15 minutes.

Bonifant has played a significant role early for the 5-0 Hilltoppers, averaging 15 minutes per game in three contests. The freshman has tallied 7.3 ppg along with 3.0 rpg and is shooting 75 percent (9-for-12) from the floor.

Kaufman, meanwhile, is averaging 4 ppg in 11 mpg for 1-1 Findlay. Last year's Daily Record Player of the Year has also pulled down five boards in his first two games.

n Neil Gingerich (Hiland), a former teammate of both Kaufman and Bonifant, hasn't wasted any time either in making an impact on the college level. Gingerich, a post for Div. II Ohio Valley, has seen action in all four games for the Fighting Scots, with his biggest performance coming recently in a 91-72 loss to Ohio Dominican. In the game, the former Hawk poured in a team-high 18 points, while also pulling down six rebounds. OVU is off to a 1-3 start this season.

n Jason Miller (Hiland), another starter from last year's Div. IV state champion, has come off the bench for Malone and played 26 minutes in his first three games, scoring a total of eight points. All eight points came in the Pioneers' season opener when they rolled over Cincinnati-Clermont 101-44. Miller was 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.

n Miller's new teammate, Zach Wasson (Orrville), also saw time in that game for Malone, chipping in four points and adding two rebounds.

n Kenny Kornowski (Smithville) and Div. II Walsh University have seen it all to open the season. The Cavaliers opened the year by playing an exhibition against Ohio State and losing just 83-71 on Oct. 30, then played Akron-Wayne College last night and cruised past the Warriors 122-58.

Walsh is off to a 3-0 start and Kornowski is a big reason why. The former Smithie tallied 12 points against the Buckeyes and is averaging 13 points per game to start the year to go along with 10.7 rebounds per night.

FOOTBALL

n The Illinois football team struggled in its first season under coach Tim Beckman, going 2-10 overall and 0-8 in Big Ten play. Mason Monheim (Orrville), however, flourished as a true freshman, leading the Fighting Illini in tackles with 86. Monheim also finished his first year with 1.5 sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

n Lindsy Snyder (West Holmes) and Tara Schaffter (Smithville) have combined to become a formidable inside duo for Div. II Malone. As a freshman last year, Snyder was the leading scorer for the Pioneers, averaging 13.8 ppg to go along with a team-best 9.0 rpg. In three starts this season, the former Knight is putting up 8 ppg to go along with 5 rpg.

Schaffter, meanwhile, already seems quite comfortable coming off the bench for Malone. The former Smithie and last year's Wayne County Athletic League Player of the Year has averaged 9 ppg in addition to 6 rpg. In the Pioneers' 113-29 rout of Wayne, Schaffter posted a team-high 10 rebounds.

n Ashland, the national runner-up in Div. II last year, is off to a 6-0 start and two Hiland products have both seen time on the floor. Noelle Yoder, who transferred from Bowling Green this year, is averaging 5.3 ppg in 14.7 mpg, while freshman McKenzie Miller has put up 2.8 ppg in 8.6 mpg.

VOLLEYBALL

n Hannah Haver (Central Christian) has helped lead Malone, 22-10 this season, to the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament. The Pioneers are the No. 7 seed in the 10-team field. The competition begins this Thursday and Friday in Kissimmee, Fla. The Pioneers qualified by knocking off Roberts Wesleyan College (N.Y.) in four sets on Nov. 17 to clinch the NCCAA East Region championship. It is the program's third regional title in three years.

Haver has been an integral part of the Pioneers' continued success and had a career year as a senior. The former Comet was named NCCAA East Region Player of the Year last week. On the year, she ranks second on the team in kills (299), first in hitting percentage (31 percent), second in blocks (76) and second in aces (30).

n Kara Koch (Northwestern) and Cleveland State are headed to the NCAA Tournament this week, playing in the first round at 11th-seeded Kansas Friday. It is the second NCAA appearance for the Vikings in school history, with the other coming in 2007 when they fell in the first round to Albany.

Koch has again been a dominant force for CSU (23-6). The former Husky is leading the team in kills (4.7 per set) and points (5.1 per set) as well as ranking second in digs (3.3 per set).

Andrew Vogel can be reached at 330-287-1624 or avogel@the-daily-record.com. Follow him on Twitter at @andvogel.